Stripper advised killers in murder of her ex-partner, court told

Mark Russell

The instructions from stripper Robyn Lindholm to the two men she had organised to kill her former partner included what to wear and how to cover their faces, a court has heard.

Ms Lindholm, 41, allegedly talked about the murder plan during a meeting at her Preston unit with the two men - Torsten Trabert, 45, and John Ryan, 37, on December 10, 2013.

She then allegedly gave them a swipe card to enter the underground car park of the apartment block where her former partner, Hawthorn gym owner Wayne Amey, 54, lived.

When Mr Amey disappeared, an acquaintance, Sarah Henderson, went to the police to file a missing persons report saying she was concerned about his welfare.

Mrs Henderson told the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday how she and her husband would occasionally bump into Mr Amey at Romeo's restaurant in Toorak and they would have dinner together.

She said they had dined together about three weeks before Mr Amey disappeared and he told them he was nervous about a court case involving a property dispute with Ms Lindholm due to be heard on December 11, 2013.

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Mrs Henderson said Mr Amey had wanted the case finalised but was concerned Ms Lindholm would not turn up and "things would go pear-shaped".

Chief Crown prosecutor Gavin Silbert, QC, told the court during a committal hearing for the three accused that Mr Amey was attacked in his Hawthorn apartment block's underground car park just after 11.20pm on December 10, 2013, before being placed in the boot of a car and driven away.

Mr Amey's body was found wedged between boulders at a peak on the north side of Mount Korong on December 18. The cause of death was multiple injuries including stab wounds, fractured ribs and neck injuries.

Mr Silbert said Ms Lindholm had been in a relationship with Mr Amey which had ended badly. They had been due in court over a property dispute the day after Mr Amey had been attacked and disappeared.

After dumping the body at Mount Korong on December 12, Mr Trabert told police that he, Ms Lindholm and Mr Ryan drove back to Kyneton before parting company.

Mr Trabert and Ms Lindholm then collected a yellow motorcycle and rode to a secluded spot in Kyneton where they had sex before riding back to Melbourne.

Mr Ryan later told police he and Mr Trabert had prepared for the attack on Mr Amey at Ms Lindholm's flat.

"Lindholm helped them prepare by advising them on what to wear and how to cover their faces," Mr Silbert said. "He [Mr Ryan] said that Lindholm gave them a swipe card to enter the underground car park."

A forensic examination of Mr Amey's red Hilux ute, allegedly used to dump his body, found the front and rear registration plates on the car belonged to a black Holden Cruze sedan registered to Mr Trabert.

At the time of his arrest, Mr Trabert had a Bank of Queensland ATM card and an American Express card in Mr Amey's name.